Crime & Safety
Montclair State Student, 19, Killed In Car Crash In Bergen County
A 19-year-old Bergen County resident was killed when his car crashed into a restaurant Friday, and his girlfriend was injured, reports said.
BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A rising sophomore at Montclair State University was killed and his girlfriend injured when their car crashed into a restaurant in Ridgefield on Friday night, police told ABC News.
Yusuf Bakmaz, 19, of Garfield, was killed after his car crossed over a center island and hit another vehicle before crashing into Karden, a Korean restaurant.
Representatives of Bergen Arts and Science Charter School, from which Bakmaz graduated a year ago, posted on Facebook that a GoFundMe was set up for the teen's family.
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"Let’s come together as a community to support the Bakmaz family in their time of need," said the post, noting that Bakmaz has a brother and sister who are mourning.
Bakmaz's LinkedIn page said he was due to graduate in 2026, and was studying engineering as well as Turkish languages and literature.
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